After successfully completing my first day at SXSW, I am still left thinking about one of the first panels I attended. Josephine Goube tells the story about how a simple idea turned into a global movement during her captivating “Let’s Tech the Borders Down” panel. In this panel she discusses how influential technology can be in helping displaced refugees connect with other people from around the world.

As the CEO of Techfugees, a non-profit that coordinate with the international tech community in response to the needs of refugees, Goube’s main focus is bringing resources to refugees that can help them to rebuild their lives. By providing coding courses, the opportunity for refugees to teach certain skills as a way to make money, and by providing a network for them to meet other people Techrefugee gives them the building blocks to establish themselves with skills and resources.

Goube goes on to discuss how technology was made to disrupt our daily lives, however she is going to use it to “disrupt the lives that are in most need.” Techfugees does this by utilizing apps such as Skype, WhatsApp and Slack to hold virtual hackathons and meetings with refugees from around the world.

“90% of refugees globally live in areas with 2G or 3G data connections0 they’re on Slack, they’re on Facebook. You can connect with them, talk to them, understand more about them, teach them skills. A much more valuable use of tech than clicktivism.”

This is an astounding number and reinforces how powerful technology can be. Goube jokingly suggests that instead of donating money, buy skype credit to chat with a refugee!

Lastly, Goube suggests that by creating a healthier debate about refugees this will help to build bridges and create a stronger foundations for our democracies.” She briefly touches on the current refugee crisis by saying, “it is not a refugee crisis, but a crisis of hospitality.”